Lot 398

French, 66 x 45 mm, circa 1840
A rare, large mourning watch key "Mourning"
Case: gold, ivory and hair. Two-sided glazed oval medallions, gold mount.
This watch key shows a mourning scene that commemorates the death of a child. The tomb with initials "H. K." and an egg-shaped, veiled urn on top is on the left; the grave lies in the shadow of a large weeping willow. On the right, a truncated column stands among tall cypress trees. The back of the key shows a winged hourglass on a tomb with the initials "C.T.P.", with a scythe and a skull on the left and some weeping willows on the right.

Similar pieces are illustrated and described in: "The Keys of Time" by Yves Droz, France 2012, p. 66-67.